Nigeria has intensified emergency preparedness and disease surveillance efforts across the country following growing Ebola outbreaks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, said although no Ebola case has been recorded in Nigeria in connection with the current outbreak in East Africa, the risk of the deadly disease entering the country remains high because of increased international travel and cross-border movement.
In a fresh public health advisory issued on Sunday, the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, said the agency had already activated emergency response measures nationwide to prevent possible importation of the virus.
According to the advisory, the agency’s latest risk assessment identified border communities, international airports, seaports and major transport hubs as high-risk areas requiring stronger monitoring and surveillance.
“This assessment estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to the ongoing transmission in the DRC and Uganda, international travel and population movement, uncertainty regarding the full magnitude of the outbreak, and the potential for delayed recognition because symptoms may overlap with endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever,” the NCDC stated.
The public health agency explained that symptoms of Ebola could easily be mistaken for malaria, typhoid fever or Lassa fever during the early stages, making rapid detection and diagnosis very important.
As part of the emergency measures, the NCDC said the National Emergency Operations Centre had already been placed on alert mode while the National Incident Management System had been activated to coordinate nationwide response activities.
The agency also disclosed that epidemiologists and Rapid Response Teams had been placed on standby for immediate deployment to any state where a suspected case may emerge.
According to the NCDC, efforts are ongoing to strengthen coordination between federal health authorities, state Ministries of Health, Port Health Services and other government agencies involved in disease control and border monitoring.
The agency said surveillance and epidemic intelligence activities had been intensified nationwide, especially around border communities and points of entry into the country.
“Enhanced surveillance activities are also ongoing at points of entry and border communities,” the advisory stated.
Health officials said the intensified monitoring would help authorities quickly detect any suspected case before the disease spreads further.
Nigeria shares strong travel and commercial links with several African countries, including those in East and Central Africa, increasing concerns among health experts about the possibility of imported infections.
The NCDC also revealed that hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country had been placed on heightened alert.
According to the agency, Ebola preparedness tools and emergency checklists had already been distributed to healthcare institutions nationwide to improve readiness.
It said refresher training programs were currently ongoing for health workers on infection prevention measures, patient screening procedures and early identification of suspected viral haemorrhagic fever cases.
The agency added that state governments had also been advised to designate isolation and treatment centres in preparation for any emergency.
States were further directed to assess bed capacity, strengthen logistics systems and ensure the availability of essential emergency medical supplies.
The NCDC said plans were underway to preposition critical response materials in strategic locations across the country.
These materials include personal protective equipment, PPE, body bags, laboratory consumables and other emergency supplies needed during outbreak response operations.
On laboratory preparedness, the agency disclosed that Nigeria currently maintains Ebola testing capability in states with international ports of entry and within the national public health laboratory network.
It stated that additional testing capacity could also be activated if the situation escalates.
The agency warned Nigerians against spreading false information and rumours about Ebola, especially on social media.
According to the NCDC, public awareness campaigns have been intensified while “Ebola Myths and Facts” educational materials have been developed to counter misinformation and fake claims circulating online.
Health authorities explained that Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often deadly illness transmitted through direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids, secretions or contaminated surfaces and materials.
Symptoms commonly include fever, headache, weakness, muscle pain and bleeding in severe cases.
The latest health alert has revived memories of Nigeria’s successful handling of the Ebola outbreak in 2014, widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest public health emergency responses.
Nigeria recorded its first Ebola case in July 2014 after an infected Liberian-American diplomat, Patrick Sawyer, arrived in Lagos from Liberia.
The incident triggered widespread panic across the country as health authorities raced to contain the deadly virus before it spread uncontrollably in Africa’s most populous nation.
In total, Nigeria recorded 20 confirmed Ebola cases and eight deaths during the outbreak.
However, aggressive contact tracing, isolation of infected persons, public awareness campaigns and rapid government response helped stop further transmission within a few months.
Nigeria’s handling of the outbreak was later praised by the World Health Organization and international health experts.
The country was officially declared Ebola-free in October 2014 after no new cases were recorded for several weeks.
Since then, health authorities have continued to strengthen disease surveillance systems and emergency preparedness measures to improve response to future outbreaks.
The current Ebola concern in Africa follows renewed outbreaks in parts of Uganda and the DRC, countries that have faced repeated viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks over the years.
The World Health Organization and regional health agencies have already increased monitoring efforts across affected countries while supporting local governments with vaccines, surveillance and emergency response support.
They advised Nigerians to avoid direct contact with bodily fluids of sick individuals, report unusual illnesses promptly and cooperate with health officials if necessary.
For now, the NCDC maintains that no confirmed Ebola case has been detected in Nigeria, but authorities say preparedness efforts remain critical given the fast movement of people across borders and the deadly nature of the disease.